tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post8935318163859326620..comments2023-12-23T13:25:43.770-08:00Comments on Rob Kremer: Sustainability and renewable energyRob Kremerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842508120324878364noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-8506505444998180012007-04-28T17:59:00.000-07:002007-04-28T17:59:00.000-07:00Who cares if Goldman Sachs/BP makes money if it re...Who cares if Goldman Sachs/BP makes money if it really, truly helps the environment? We should be happy the free market is now supporting a move towards sustainability and environmentalism.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-57720451172310868722007-04-23T14:25:00.000-07:002007-04-23T14:25:00.000-07:00Using terms such as "obscene" or "reasonable" for ...Using terms such as "obscene" or "reasonable" for profits pretty much undercuts your whole argument and tags you as a nutcase. By whose definition are profits either "obscene" or "reasonable?" <BR/><BR/>Oil company profit margins are about 10 percent - that is, for every $100 in revenue, they earn $10 over their entire business. For instance, Exxon-Mobil earns "only" 81 percent of their profits from oil and gas. Were one to divide the profits earned by the number of gallons of gas sold, one would find out just what a small part of each $3 gallon of gas ends up in the pockets of oil company shareholders. To put it mildly, the state's profit - through gas taxes alone - is tremendously higher.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-90292497073840885002007-04-22T06:44:00.000-07:002007-04-22T06:44:00.000-07:001. Does the previous poster suggest that "Human" ...1. Does the previous poster suggest that "Human" resources are not "Natural"?<BR/><BR/>2. The poster states, "Oil is produced with far few employees to produce that same given amount of energy."<BR/><BR/>that's the point -- it is the least costly. The use of oil frees people to do other, more productive and sustainable things.<BR/><BR/>Finally, <A HREF="http://rightOregon.org" REL="nofollow">rightOregon.org</A> has a piece on the bamboozle of the sustainability initiatives being considered by the Portland City Council -- available <A HREF="http://ludt.com/wordpress/?p=44" REL="nofollow">here</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-11184269770239768282007-04-21T07:17:00.000-07:002007-04-21T07:17:00.000-07:00No large corporation can be trusted to be altruist...No large corporation can be trusted to be altruistic and they must be constantly watched for ever present ulterior motives.<BR/><BR/>But just because a profit is to be made doesn't mean a venture is suspect either.<BR/><BR/>i have a problem with the following bit from the article:<BR/><BR/>"They don't understand that if something costs more, that means it consumed more of society's resources to produce it. So mandating more costly energy sources actually is LESS sustainable, not more."<BR/><BR/>This is patently false. When you dissect what "societies resources" really means the fallacy is clear. Resources take the form of natural and human. <BR/><BR/>Take oil vs solar. Solar costs more because it takes more human resources from the manufacturing of cells to installation of cells etc to produce a given amount of energy. Oil is produced with far few employees to produce that same given amount of energy.<BR/><BR/>Oil companies have obscene profit margins as a result, while solar companies have very narrow margins in order to keep their prices even in the same ball park as fossil fuel energy suppliers.<BR/><BR/>I for one would rather see local producers of renewable energy make a small but reasonable profit and employ my neighbors than see trillion dollar oil companies make billions per year in profit for their execs and shareholders while employing none of my neighbors.<BR/><BR/>And this argument would be true even without the fact that the sun's energy is infinitely renewable and sustainable as are wind, tidal, and geothermal energy while fossil fuels are clearly finite and running out.<BR/><BR/>Bring on the renewable revolution for the good of our economies and the planet!<BR/><BR/>By the way, here is a good article about the practical economic benefits being realised right now in the US:<BR/><BR/>http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=48201Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com